While Fourth of July discounts just wrapped up, an even better sale has gone live today, in the form of the Best Buy Black Friday in July sale. This sale is set to act as a competitor to Amazon Prime Day, which begins this week as well. If you’re looking to save on the latest electronics, Black Friday in July is a sale you’ll want to check out.
Shop the Best Buy Black Friday in July Sale
Right now, there are deals live across video games, accessories, laptops, Apple products, appliances, cell phones, headphones, and more. The best deals we’ve seen so far mostly fall under video games, with $20 off some major Nintendo Switch games now available. One of our favorites is Splatoon 3 for $39.99, especially considering the game just received a Nintendo Switch 2 patch.
There’s also over $200 in savings on the Lenovo Legion Go S. This handheld PC packs in the Ryzen Z2 Go, 32GB of LPDDR5X memory, 1TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage, and room for expansion with a 1TB microSD card slot. That’s not to mention the 8″ screen equipped with VRR, a 120Hz refresh rate, a 500 nit peak brightness, and more.
Finally, a four pack of AirTags is sitting at a new all-time low sale price. These are incredibly helpful for finding your wallet, purse, bag, or even pet! This deal puts each AirTag at $17, which is significantly lower than the $29.99 asking price for a single unit normally.
Should You Wait for Prime Day Tomorrow?
While the Best Buy Black Friday in July sale has some great offers, the longest Prime Day ever is set to begin tomorrow, July 8. If you are looking to save the most money this year, waiting for Prime Day to see what deals are available is likely your best option. This sale from Best Buy is set to be live for the rest of the week, so you can always come back and shop if you don’t find something better at Amazon. It’s expected that we will see some significant discounts on both video games and technology this year, among numerous other products.
As Pokémon TCG collectors race to secure the hottest new cards from Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together, Destined Rivals, and the upcoming Black Bolt and White Flare sets, the often overlooked Paradox Rift expansion is quietly taking a back seat. That cooling attention is having ripple effects, especially for high-rarity cards. While Special Illustration Rare (SIR) ex cards are seeing a notable drop in value, several Illustration Rares are climbing fast, in part due to shifting collector interest and low inventory levels in my opinion.
I think this shift echoes the rise of Groudon IR from earlier this year, where unexpected demand met low availability. Now other Illustration Rare cards are following suit, gaining ground while their flashier SIR counterparts take a dip. Here’s a look at the top climbers and crashers from Paradox Rift that collectors and players should keep an eye on as we move from the Scarlet and Violet era and toward Mega Evolution.
Pokémon Card Crashers
Altaria ex is down 25% and now sits at $37.13. It’s got some defensive tools and a bit of healing, but I just don’t see it showing up in many decks. Collectors seem to be moving on from it too, which helps explain the drop. Gholdengo ex has fallen 21% to $23.77. I actually really like the discard mechanic on this one, but it’s being overshadowed by newer SIRs that are getting more attention.
Steelixhas dropped 19% to $25.20. It’s a nostalgic pick for sure, but Earthquake hitting your own bench hurts, and the retreat cost makes it clunky to play. Roaring Moon ex is down 16% to $46.98. It still hits hard, but the buzz around it has definitely cooled. Garchomp ex has also taken a hit, falling 19% to $26.64. It’s still useful for energy acceleration and sniping, but with so many new cards dropping, it’s getting left behind.
Pokémon Card Climbers
Groudon is up 13% and now going for $75.99. It hits hard, charges fast, and looks awesome. No surprise it’s still trending up. Morpeko is the biggest climber, up 43% to $31.99. Its ability is pretty niche, but the art is fun and people seem to love it right now.
Plusle has jumped 32% to $29.50. It’s good in damage-stacking builds and pairs perfectly with Minun, which is also on the rise. Minun is up 16% to $22.98. Its Buddy Pulse ability adds some nice pressure, and people clearly want the pair together. Iron Valiant exis up 9% to $20.36. It’s great for decks that focus on spread damage and is the only ex SIR from this set that’s currently climbing.
Last Weeks Crashers and Climbers
I’ve been closely tracking the Pokémon TCG market, and right now we’re seeing a clear split between two major sets. Surging Sparks is going through a sharp correction, with top cards like Pikachu ex – 247/191, Hydreigon ex – 240/191, and Milotic ex – 237/191 dropping 51%, 34%, and 26% respectively. Even chase cards like Pikachu ex – 238/191 and Latias ex – 239/191 are down over 20%. But this isn’t a crash, it’s a natural correction driven by rising supply.
Japanese Pokémon TCG booster boxes have far better odds at pulling chase cards, have far less bulk and are often half the price of English booster boxes. This also mean said chase cards are worth significantly less, but Japanese cards are far easier to get perfect grades in given they’re always busting out of booster packs in perfect condition. Want a Pokémon card collection on a budget? Go for Japanese cards.
The Most Expensive Pokémon Cards In Packs Right Now
While it’s easy to envy those with deep pockets grabbing the priciest Pokémon TCG cards, there’s something way more exciting about pulling a massive hit straight from a booster pack, especially with sets like Destined Rivals, Prismatic Evolutions, Twilight Masquerade, and Surging Sparks still in print. Right now, cards like Umbreon ex – 161/131 are leading the market at over $1,000, followed by heavy hitters like Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex – 231/182, Greninja ex – 214/167, and Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex – 230/182, all pushing $300+. The iconic Pikachu ex – 238/191 has cooled to around $295 after peaking last year, making it a solid buy.
More fan-favorite chase cards include Cynthia’s Garchomp ex, Roaring Moon ex, Latias ex, and Team Rocket’s Moltres ex, all hovering between $195–$260. And then there’s the Eeveelution invasion. Prismatic Evolutions is packed with top-tier art like Sylveon ex, Espeon ex, Leafeon ex, Vaporeon ex, Jolteon ex, and Glaceon ex, all sitting comfortably above $230. Each card is absolutley stunning, pumped with nostalgia and some competitive utility to boot (Although I’d suggest getting the standard ex cards for you deck). The odds of pulling them are slim, Prismatic Evolution is notoriously unforgiving with pull rates. Buying singles might be the smarter move if you’re after specific cards, but I also don’t like having fun.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
If you’re shopping for Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering cards, tech, and books this week, there’s plenty worth checking out. Prime members aged 18 to 24 can claim six months of Amazon Prime for free, which includes fast shipping, streaming, and monthly gaming perks. Pokémon collectors can find better prices on sealed products at TCG Player, including blisters and premium collections that beat Amazon by a few dollars. Japanese booster boxes are also a smart buy if you’re after clean pulls, less bulk, and more Pokécoins in your pocket.
TL;DR: Deals For Today
Magic: The Gathering fans should look to TCG Player for most sealed product deals, especially with Amazon pricing above MSRP in several cases. Preorders for MTG’s Marvel Spider-Man and Edge of Eternities sets are live, with TCG Player often offering the lowest prices. There are also solid deals on essentials like a 10ft power strip and a retractable 67W USB-C charger from Baseus. If you’re catching up on The Silo Saga or The Witcher series, boxed sets are discounted and worth adding to your shelf.
Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Tour Bundle for $498.95
If you’re still on the hunt for a Switch 2 console, here’s an opportunity you might want to consider. AliExpress has the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Tour Console Bundle available for $498.95 after you apply a $100 off coupon code “AEUS100” in your shopping cart. This console ships free from a local US warehouse.
This is a genuine gaming console that has been imported from another country (usually Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, or Mexico). Region locking is determined by your account, not by console, so all of these systems will play in the US without any problems. You’ll also be able to select English as your default language just like any console you buy here. Although the console itself is region unlocked, the Mario Kart World Tour game voucher is region locked. In order to redeem the download voucher on a US-based Nintendo account, one of the reviews mentions a workaround:
6 Months Free Amazon Prime For Young Adults
This one is a no-brainer. If your 18-24, snap up this 6-months free deal for Amazon Prime. It includes the free and fast delivery Amazon is known for alongside unlimited streaming, free delivery on GrubHub+, free Prime games every month and loads more.
Pokémon TCG Sealed Products
TCG Player is showing Amazon up this week with cheaper deals on the Prismatic Evolutions Super Premium Collection undercutting the big box retailer by a few dollars. It’s also the cheapest place to grab 3-pack blisters for Destined Rivals too. I’ve also included eBay links with the products, as it’s always worth seeing if one can pick up a cheeky bargain before going all in.
Pokémon TCG Japan Sealed Products
Japanese Pokémon TCG booster boxes have far better odds at pulling chase cards, have far less bulk and are often half the price of English booster boxes. This also mean said chase cards are worth significantly less, but Japanese cards are far easier to get perfect grades in given they’re always busting out of booster packs in perfect condition. Want a Pokémon card collection on a budget? Go for Japanese cards.
This Weeks Crashers and Climbers
The Pokémon TCG market is currently experiencing a split trend: Surging Sparks cards are undergoing a steep price correction due to increased supply, with notable drops such as Pikachu ex (247/191) falling 51% to $56, and Hydreigon ex dropping 34% to $49.60—creating a buying opportunity for collectors. Meanwhile, Crown Zenith cards are rising in value, with key VSTAR Secret Rares like Giratina and Dialga seeing double-digit gains, driven by strong demand and the set’s transition into “legacy” status as the Sword and Shield era ends.
Magic: The Gathering Sealed Products
We’re seeing TCG Player destory Amazon pricing on sealed Magic: The Gathering product at the moment too. This is great for us, but perhaps Amazon should use their weight to look after their customers with predatory over MRSP pricing? Atleast with TCG Player you’re getting market value, with some product scating very close to the recommended retail price.
Where To Preorder MTG: Marvel’s Spider-Man
It’s hard work trying to get a preorder in for anything MTG Spider-Man related at big box stores outside of a Play Booster Box, but TCG Player have the stock, and in most cases, the cheapest pricing for preorders. There’s every chance Amazon will get more stock allocation before release, but if you don’t want to miss out on launch, I’d highly reccomend securing preorders with a reputable seller on TCG Player. If this set is anything like MTG: Final Fantasy, launch day stock is going to be none existent.
Where To Preorder MTG: Edge Of Eternities
MTG: Edge of Eternities preorders are the exception to the rule in this weeks MTG deals round-up. Amazon comes in cheaper on most preorders, with TCG Player taking the cheapest spot on the Play Booster Box and Commander Deck bundles. I’ve included eBay links too, which is always a wise choice to check for cheap preorders before putting your money on the table.
The Witcher Boxed Set
This is the core of Sapkowski’s epic—Blood of Elves, The Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of Swallows, and Lady of the Lake—finally bundled in one set. If you’ve only seen the show or played the games, this is where the real magic lives. The writing is sharp, the world-building deep, and Geralt’s story hits harder on-page.
28 Years Later 4K Steelbook
If you’re into post-apocalyptic chaos with a side of smart storytelling, 28 Years Later delivers. Danny Boyle is back behind the camera, teaming up again with Alex Garland, and it shows. This isn’t just another zombie flick, it’s a brutal, atmospheric return to the world of 28 Days Later, packed with tension, grim visuals, and a few twists that hit harder than a crowbar to the face. The 4K UHD Steelbook looks sharp on the shelf, and the digital copy is a nice bonus for rewatching during late-night doomscroll breaks. Horror fans, this one earns a spot in your collection.
Baseus Enercore CJ11 Retractable USB C Charger
Baseus has launched a new line of Enercore wall chargers aimed at travelers, with the standout 67W model now available for $36.99 on Amazon for Prime members using the code “GOHTHZJQ.” This charger features a unique built-in 32-inch retractable USB-C cable, foldable prongs, and two extra USB-C ports, making it compact and versatile. Despite being capped at 67W, it can fast charge devices like the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and iPhone 16 at full speed
The Silo Series Boxed Set
Season 2 of Silo, the hit Apple TV+ series based on Hugh Howey’s Wool, continues the gripping story of a dystopian world where humanity survives in a giant underground silo governed by strict rules—chief among them: never talk about the outside. As the original sheriff breaks this cardinal law, Juliette, a fearless mechanic from the silo’s depths, steps into a role that challenges the system at its core. Fans can now dive deeper with The Silo Saga Omnibus, which collects Wool, Shift, Dust, author essays, and new short fiction, offering a definitive look into Howey’s acclaimed sci-fi universe.
Power Strip Surge Protector, 10FT
This surge protector is the kind of gear you don’t think about until you need it, and then you’re glad you grabbed it. With 8 AC outlets and 4 USB ports (including 2 USB-C), it’s built to handle your whole gaming setup, plus a few extra devices. The flat plug fits neatly behind desks, and the 5-foot braided cord is sturdy enough to take a beating.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
The Birdman is back, and he’s once again 540° Christ Airing his way into my house and into my heart, like some kind of majestic, Motörhead-fueled, messiah of manuals, methods, and madonnas. As the follow-up 2020’s absolutely delightful remake of the first two Pro Skater games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 may lack the outright initial novelty of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 – and it definitely colours outside the lines a bit more while bringing these classics back to life – but it’s also impossible for me to deny how infectiously fun it is being transported back to 2001 for some authentically old school, arcade skating action. “The pleasure is to play,” barks Lemmy Kilmister in the iconic speed metal masterpiece Ace of Spades, which was the high-energy opener for the original THPS3 more than two decades ago and returns to do the same job in THPS3+4.
You’re damn right it is, Lemmy.
Five years ago developer Vicarious Visions achieved the improbable with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. Despite the stench of Robomodo’s disastrous Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 still lingering in the air like a swampy pair of SB Dunks, Vicarious Visions produced one of the most pitch-perfect and essential remakes of the modern era – one that would go on to record the highest first month of sales for any game in the long-running Tony Hawk’s series. For its valiant efforts, Vicarious Visions was promptly… shut down, and Hawk himself confirmed plans to produce Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 were subsequently kickflipped to the kerb. Fortunately, this decision was reversed and the project landed at Iron Galaxy.
Despite having a different developer at the helm, THPS3+4 remains mostly in sync with the look and structure of THPS 1+2. That is, the graphics are similarly crisp and colourful, and the performance is robust and reliable. The skate roster is a mix of returning pros from the original games, the new additions from THPS1+2, and some fresh faces debuting in the series (including Chloe Covell, Yuto Horigome, Rayssa Leal, and Zion Wright amongst others). Yes, Bam Margera is here, too. He may be absent from the intro sizzle but you’ll be able to find him in the unlockable secrets.
Despite having a different developer at the helm, THPS3+4 remains mostly in sync with the look and structure of THPS 1+2.
Both games in the package are again represented as two separate strings of levels but, beyond that, everything is unified. Moves and tricks are common across both games (including things like, say, spine transfers – which were only originally introduced in THPS4.) On top of that, the stat points you collect playing one game will improve your skater in the other, and any currency you gather goes to one central kitty to spend on kit for your custom skater (or secret skaters, fancy effects, or special visual filters). Basically, if you’ve played THPS 1+2 you’ll know what to expect. But even if you haven’t, I anticipate you’ll catch on quickly to the neat and tidy, two-for-one philosophy at work.
Kick, Push, Kick, Push, Coast
The magic of THPS3+4 lives in its levels and, despite a couple of apparent absences, the marvelously remade maps are the stars of the show. As was the case with THPS1+2, it’s just so charming to be carving and combo-ing my way through such familiar geometry, only with a slick and modern overhaul. From feeling the heat of the molten metal in Foundry to ascending the levels of Alcatraz, unlocking and arriving in each returning map has been a huge highlight. Airport is still an impeccable string of skate lines. Cruise Ship is still a wonderfully moreish challenge to score crazy combos without cannonballing into the Caribbean. It’s great stuff.
As was the case with THPS1+2, it’s just so charming to be carving and combo-ing my way through such familiar geometry, only with a slick and modern overhaul.
Kona still suffers from parts of its real world-inspired layout being a bit of a plain space for the zany, arcade skating of a Tony Hawk’s game – and London’s shift to night seems to make it a little more boring to look at – but there aren’t really any complete duds here aside from THPS4’s Zoo, which has been turned into a tournament level. The Zoo is now abandoned, so it’s now lifeless and lonely (and the night setting is once again dull on the eyes).
While there’s no sign of THPS4’s Chicago or Carnival maps, there are three brand-new ones Iron Galaxy has added to the THPS4 campaign. I’m not sure how I feel about it in purist terms, although Waterpark and Pinball are both seriously excellent levels. An abandoned waterpark full of empty pools and crusty old waterslides is such a perfect environment for a Pro Skater game it’s almost hard to believe it didn’t already exist, and Pinball is seriously eye-catching – from the chrome sheen of the shiny metal ball to the gigantic Tony Hawk looming over the machine itself.
Level goals are mostly drawn from the original games – Iron Galaxy hasn’t arbitrarily moved the hidden tapes somewhere else – but there are a few new or amended ones throughout. These generally work (for instance, the incredibly easy ‘Trash the Museum’ on Cruise Ship has been replaced with a far more satisfyingly complex trick gauntlet you need to complete in order to produce the same slapstick result) but there are a couple of misses (switching out London’s Stompy the Elephant for a weird bloke in his undies is an odd pivot).
Most of the liberties have been taken in THPS4’s levels, where there’s been some significant pruning. Essentially, THPS4’s levels have all been streamlined to function under the classic two-minute timer, so this means you won’t be freely skating around speaking with fellow pro skaters and receiving verbal goals from them as you encounter each one. Those conversations are gone, and so too are a bunch of goals. I will note that some that I thought were missing appeared as one of the five extra ‘Pro Goals’ that become available after getting every initial goal in all parks. For instance, the parade floats that are parked teasingly out of reach in College do start moving down the street once Pro Goals are unlocked, but you won’t be, say, startling an elephant or hardflipping over Kenny the Koala at Zoo this time around. It’s neat that we eventually get C-O-M-B-O goals for THPS3 levels that never previously had them, but there’s give and take. Either way, the THPS4 campaign generally only feels like a remake in brief bursts; most of the time it’s really a reimagining. You can change the timer to be up to 60 minutes as a new gameplay mod (joining the list of cheats returning from THPS 1 + 2) but, while it reduces friction, it doesn’t really make it any more like classic THPS4.
On the topic of goals, however, elsewhere there’s been some well-considered evolution to the park editor, which now features a ‘create-a-goal’ function. This is a huge plus. Now user levels don’t have to exclusively be places for you to cruise around until you get bored and decide to move on; they can be a whole new pillar of your THPS 3 + 4 playtime, tackling new challenges and collecting S-K-A-T-E letters, C-O-M-B-O lines, and hitting smashables in fresh maps every time you boot up. I think this has massive promise. You can also add turbo boost pads, friendly and aggressive NPCs, and death pits (that will kick skaters back to a spawn point), so it’s a great evolution of the park creator tools in THPS 1 + 2.
Not the Same
While I’m certain the reimagining of THPS4’s campaign mode will be a bona fide bugbear for some purists, personally I’m far more disappointed in the total about-face on display when it comes to THPS 3 + 4’s soundtrack. It’s actually a genuinely baffling situation.
Unfortunately, THPS 3 + 4 is a different story altogether.
Whether it’s a coincidence or otherwise, THPS 3 + 4 has also arrived with 59 songs in total – but the balance is all wrong. Yes, it’s certainly true that both THPS3 and THPS4 had significantly larger soundtracks than the original pair of games (20 for THPS3, and 35 for THPS4). And yes, hypothetically re-securing every single song probably wouldn’t have left much scope to augment the soundtrack with new music released since the heyday of the original Pro Skater games. Therefore, I would’ve been content to concede that a fair compromise would have been half-and-half – or at least a similar mix to THPS 1 + 2. Say, 20-or-so classic songs, and the remainder new.
We didn’t get close to that. Bafflingly, we got just six out of 20 from THPS3, and a mere four out of 35 from THPS4. That’s 10 total; less than 20% of the originals’ songs, and less than half the number of returning songs THPS 1 + 2 has. In actual fact, there are bands that weren’t even asked, and are as surprised as their fans to be absent from the THPS 3 + 4 soundtrack.
Apologists may badger me about using Spotify instead but, despite the presence of Bodyjar, it’s simply not the same as having the music baked into the game where it belongs. That is, I count myself lucky that Bodyjar’s Not the Same made the cut; depending on the day of the week you ask me it’s near enough my favourite song of all time. But my fellow old fans may not be as fortunate. After all, even the title track for THPS4 was brushed aside.
Simply put, this is a fumble for any remake, but it’s a particularly disappointing one for a pair of games in which the music is a key pillar of what makes them special and memorable. Don’t get me wrong, there are some genuinely great new tracks on THPS 3 + 4 that have instantly worked their way from the game to my daily playlists. Dog Years by Urethane, hollywood sucks// by KennyHoopla, Boys in the Better Land by Fontaines D.C., Roller by The Saint Cecilia, and Better Off by Common Perry are all total bangers and I wasn’t previously familiar with a single one of them. Rescuing Lupe Fiasco’s skateboarding anthem Kick, Push from being forever marooned in 2006’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam was also a commendable decision. However, I just cannot ignore the casual indifference shown to the original soundtracks.
Fromage is a worker placement board game where players assume the role of French cheesemakers, tasked with making, aging, and selling their cheeses. Players take their turns simultaneously, thanks to an innovative rotating game board. Each turn, players focus on the quadrant facing them, placing workers to craft aged cheeses and gather resources, all aiming to rack up the highest score by the end of the game.
Every quadrant offers distinct scoring opportunities and decisions in its minigame-style setup, keeping each turn fresh and engaging. With only a limited number of workers available, players must carefully balance the choice between going all-in on a single quadrant for big points or strategically placing workers across multiple areas to snag easy points.
What’s in the Box
Fromage’s box is on the larger side when it comes to board games, but it does manage to pack some pretty interesting components inside. The main gimmick of Fromage is its rotating Lazy Susan-style board that features four distinct quadrants for players to interact with. The game board does require some assembly with its interlocking parts, but it’s not too difficult to configure. The four quadrants are linked together in no particular order with a resource tile placed in the middle of the board in any orientation, which creates a randomized game board each time you play.
Depending on the player count, there are double-sided inserts that are slotted into the bottom of each quadrant of the rotating game board, modifying the scoring and spaces available to suit the number of players.
Like most modern board games, there are punchboards containing the game’s various tokens that you’ll need to punch out and separate before playing. Thankfully, Fromage includes two wedge-shaped resource trays with labeled compartments for the groups of tokens, as well as plastic lids to make cleanup a breeze when you’re done playing. The side of the game box even provides a visual aid for fitting all the components neatly back into the box, something that I wish more games did.
There are four double-sided player boards featuring rustic farm artwork on one side, and information about the solo mode on the opposite side. Each player receives a set of components that include 15 colored wooden cheese tokens, three workers, and three worker bases – in Hard, Soft, and Bleu cheese varieties.
While not used during the first game, there’s an additional 32 structure tiles that can be drafted before each game and placed on each player’s board that adds more strategy and variety for those looking for an even greater challenge.
Rules and How It Plays
Gameplay consists of placing workers on your quadrant of the rotating board each turn to score points and generate resources while strategically blocking your opponents from doing the same. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
After assembling the rotating game board with inserts corresponding to your player count, each player selects a random player board, and a matching set of cheese tokens, workers, and worker bases. All players start with two resources depending on which player board they have. Resources include structures, livestock, fruit, and orders to fulfill.
Players assume the role of French cheesemakers, tasked with making, aging, and selling their cheeses.
Each turn in Fromage is played simultaneously by all players, which not only keeps everyone engaged, but also allows the game to keep moving forward at a brisk pace. During your turn, you’ll use your available workers to make one cheese and/or gather one resource in the quadrant facing you.
Every quadrant features a different venue, each with its own minigame-style objective and scoring opportunity. For example, the Fromagerie requires you to display your cheese on as many shelves as possible to score points and potentially gain bonus resources, while the Bistro has you pairing specific cheeses together for restaurantgoers in order to score. The Villes venue tasks you with distributing your cheese throughout the regions of France to expand your customer base and score points, while the Festival requires you to show off your cheeses by placing them near each other to score. Despite performing the same core actions, each quadrant feels distinct from one another and requires you to constantly adjust your strategy for each one.
Where you place your cheese token each turn is very important. Each of your three workers specializes in a different type of cheese: Hard, Soft, or Bleu. The spaces within each quadrant are represented by one of the three cheese types, as well as its required age, indicated by a gold, silver, or bronze color on the space. Cheeses that are aged longer are generally more valuable, but require you to leave your worker on that space for one to three turns while the cheese ages.
This risk/reward mechanic is what makes Fromage so delectable. Do you play it safe and get fewer points and resources, or double down on a specific quadrant and lose one of your valuable workers for a bit? You’ll need to weigh these decisions carefully or you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs while everyone else takes their turn.
This is also where Fromage’s rotating game board design really shines. When placing your worker on a space, it’s oriented in a specific direction depending on the cheese’s age. Gold aged cheese (the best) makes your worker face left, while silver faces upwards, and bronze to the right. Once all players have made their moves, the board is rotated clockwise 90-degrees to symbolize the cheese aging, and causing your workers to face a new direction in the process. At the start of each turn, players retrieve any of their workers facing them and continue making cheese until someone runs out of cheese tokens.
But, making and selling cheese isn’t the only way to score points. The various resources you collect during Fromage are also key to your success. Collecting structure tokens allows you to build structures on your player board that grant you unique abilities, like gaining a resource when placing your cheese in a specific quadrant, or increasing your overall score if certain criteria is met. The default player board structures offer some interesting strategies, but once you get a feel for the game you can draft new structure tiles to replace the default options before you start. This allows you to create some interesting (and sometimes broken) strategies if you get the right tiles.
Order cards task you with making a specific type and age of cheese and grant you an escalating number of points depending on how many orders you complete during the game. This resource is particularly useful, since it often rewards you just for playing aged cheeses. My only complaint is that there’s not really an incentive to complete the more valuable cheese orders unless it aligns with your strategy, as they aren’t worth any extra points, despite potentially tying your worker up for multiple turns.
Certain spaces require you to make fruited cheese or jam, which can only be done if you have fruit on hand. Like the other resources, this can be totally ignored, but not collecting fruit effectively blocks you from being able to place your cheese on many of the spaces. This creates an interesting dilemma where you always want to try and have at least one fruit on hand to ensure you can make cheese during your turn, or you may fall behind the other players. At the end of the game, the number of fruited cheese and jams you made are multiplied together for bonus points.
The final resource, livestock, can be collected and exchanged for a specific type of aged cheese during your turn. This allows you to bypass the standard rules by making additional cheese on your turn, and potentially catching your opponents off guard by ending the game sooner.
While Fromage offers plenty of interesting decisions throughout the game between its four quadrants, I found that there wasn’t as much player interaction as I would have liked from a worker placement game. You can almost entirely ignore your opponents and still come out on top as there are many different paths to victory. It’s also somewhat difficult to determine who’s ahead at any given moment with points coming from so many sources, so you’re never really sure if you’re actually getting in your opponent’s way or just wasting your own resources.
There wasn’t as much player interaction as I would have liked from a worker placement game.
As much as I love Fromage’s rotating game board as a concept, in practice I had multiple situations where the quadrants separated while rotating it. Thankfully, a slightly updated design is in the works that includes a central locking axle to keep everything in place that will debut in 2026 alongside the standalone expansion, Formaggio.
Fromage also includes a solo mode, complete with an automa called the Corporation that’s hell-bent on running your small cheese operation out of business. Instead of playing in different quadrants, the Corporation plays in your quadrant. At the start of each turn, the Corporation draws an order card and places a cheese token on the matching space, if possible. This creates an interesting dynamic as you can’t effectively plan ahead since the Corporation can easily disrupt your strategy. The game ends when you or the Corporation runs out of cheese tokens, and the highest score wins. Overall, I found the solo mode to be a fun score-chasing opportunity and and its adjustable difficulty levels make it a rewarding challenge for players eager to test their cheese-making prowess solo.
Capcom has canceled a lecture on the optimization of Monster Hunter Wilds at the upcoming CEDEC 2025 conference in Japan, amid concerns over harassment and threats its staff has been facing over Monster Hunter Wilds.
Per Automaton, Capcom was set to host a talk at Japan’s Computer Entertainment Developers Conference, which would have covered performance optimization through the lens of Monster Hunter Wilds. The developers would have explored the angles of CPU and GPU load, as well as memory usage.
No reason was given for the cancellation, but speculation has swirled around whether this is related to harassment the developers have faced over Monster Hunter Wilds. The PC version of Wilds, specifically, has garnered criticism since launch, prompting commitments to improvements and updates from the team at Capcom.
Following the release of Title Update 2, planned adjustments were hoped to have fixed the problem. Results seemed varied, however, and Capcom released a statement addressing several major bugs and issues on Twitter/X.
Amid all this, though, Capcom also put out a statement on its official site, responding to what sounds like a more extreme degree of feedback. Per Automaton, Capcom said its staff have faced harassment through social media and customer support channels, including targeted threats against individuals. The company reportedly warned that it will take legal action in severe cases of harassment against employees.
So while no official reason was given for the lecture’s cancellation, the alignment of these events certainly suggests that concerns over harassment played a role. And it should go without saying that critique and feedback are worthwhile, but these extremes do worse than nothing, and certainly won’t assist in tuning Monster Hunter Wilds.
As for Wilds itself, Title Update 2 recently went live, and players do seem to be enjoying the addition of several new hunts, especially the bout with Lagiacrus.
Despite its rapidly approaching August 8 release date for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, not much has been seen from Mafia: The Old Country, the upcoming prequel – and fourth mainline entry – in the popular mafioso action-adventure series. That changes today. Mafia: The Old Country is our IGN First “cover story” for the month of July, meaning we’ll have exclusive content all month long – specifically on Mafia Mondays!
We kick things off today with nine minutes of exclusive gameplay from the Villa section in Chapter 5 of the story. Note that this footage has been edited for length and to avoid some story/character spoilers.
Next Monday we’ll have our exclusive hands-on preview after playing three hours of the campaign. In the meantime, check out our chat with game director Alex Cox and Hangar 13 studio president Nick Baynes as well as Baynes and 2K president David Ismailer discussing the decision to price The Old Country at $50 and go back to Mafia’s narrative-driven, linear roots.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Activision has pulled Call of Duty: WWII on Xbox PC offline just days after it was added to Game Pass, amid reports of hacking via Remote Code Execution (RCE).
This isn’t about PC players cheating in-game via wall hacks and aim bots. Rather this is about unsuspecting Game Pass players losing control of their PCs through a security exploit.
According to Cloudflare, a remote code execution (RCE) attack is where an attacker runs malicious code on an organization’s computers or network: “The ability to execute attacker-controlled code can be used for various purposes, including deploying additional malware or stealing sensitive data.”
Activision failed to provide any further details in its brief statement, below, instead simply confirming Sledgehammer’s 2017 shooter was “brought offline” on PC while it investigates reports of “an issue.” However, players in the comments of the message, published on July 5, are reporting that their computers were accessed due to a security vulnerability that lets hackers take control of remote PCs, suggesting these reports and Activision’s action are linked.
📢 Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII on PC Microsoft Store was brought offline while we investigate reports of an issue
That was two days ago now, and there’s been no update since. IGN has asked Activision for comment.
The issue hit the headlines after X / Twitter user @wrioh75753 published a viral clip, below, appearing to show their game of Call of Duty: WWII suffering from a hack during a livestream. The post has so-far been viewed 2.3 million times.
The reports emerged in the wake of Microsoft’s sweeping layoffs, which hit its gaming business hard last week. Call of Duty developers were among the many Microsoft-owned studios to suffer job cuts, although Microsoft has so-far failed to detail exactly how many employees were affected. Black Ops 7 is due out later this year.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
“Celebrating 25 years of Final Fantasy 9 today,” said a tweet posted to the game’s official X/Twitter account yesterday, July 6. “When a theatre troupe set out for a royal kidnapping, Zidane and Princess Garnet are thrown into an emotional adventure that’s never left the hearts of those who’ve played it. What does FFIX mean to you?”
Then, in a follow-up message posted today (July 7), Square Enix invited players aged 13 and up in selected countries to submit their FF9 fan art between now and the end of October. If selected, it will then be used on the Final Fantasy portal site, as well as official social network accounts.
The X/Twitter account of passion project Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project further stoked speculation earlier today by quote-tweeting Square’s post, adding: “When are we going to tell them, Square Enix?”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the game’s social media and Reddit communities have been full of shocked players commenting on the lack of news. “This CANNOT be it bro,” said one. “The remake. Announce the remake,” while another said: “At least confirm or deny the remake rumors plz.”
“The 25th anniversary is a big milestone and announcing it would be the best right now. My hopes are gone,” added another disappointed fan. Interestingly, though, some fans have taken this lack of announcement as a sign there may still be news to come.
“October is the month, boys,” said this excited player, while another added: “Cutoff date is the end of October because y’all will reveal the FF9 Remake in November, right?”
In a Reddit thread entitled, “You’ve reached a checkpoint. How are you doing given the so far disappointment of no announcement?”, one fan replied: “At this point I’ve played myself more than I’ve played the actual game. Just call me Zorn & Thorn ’cause I’m a certified resident of Clown Town.”
Even Domino’s Pizza can’t believe we haven’t had an announcement yet…
Final Fantasy 9 remake rumors have swirled around Square Enix ever since the unannounced game emerged as part of a 2021 Nvidia leak of upcoming titles. The list, confirmed legit by Nvidia but potentially outdated, includes a number of Square Enix games the company has either announced or released since, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, the Final Fantasy Tactics remake, and of course the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. However, Final Fantasy 9 remake has yet to materialize. Just a few months before the Nvidia leak, in June 2021, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development, although we haven’t heard anything about it in the years since, either.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Pokémon Go has teased the arrival of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Paradox creatures within the hit smartphone game.
Paradox Pokémon are new versions of familiar creatures from alternate past and future realities, and debuted in the series’ most recent mainline games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for Nintendo Switch.
Artwork for Pokémon Go’s 9th anniversary shows the primordial Great Tusk, which looks like it’s wandered off the set of Jurassic World Rebirth, and the neon-coated Iron Treads, which could have rolled straight out of Cyberpunk 2077. Both are versions of the classic Pokémon Donphan — and now fans are debating how Paradox Pokémon will debut.
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, players can encounter Paradox Pokémon in the wild — though in Pokémon Go, there’s an expectation that these powerful creatures will likely pop up in raids, similar to how the Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Moon debuted.
Paradox Pokémon originally being spotted in Scarlet/Violet’s “Area Zero” crater has meanwhile led some fans to suggest the species would be a good fit for this year’s Pokémon Go Wild Area event, which is designed to feel like something of a safari.
22 Paradox Pokémon species exist, with a selection of more common and Legendary Pokémon remixed. Jigglypuff gets a billion-year-old variant named Scream Tail, for example, while the Legendary Terrakion gets a new variant, Iron Boulder, that looks like an anime robot. Regardless of how some of the Paradox species are introduced, these new versions of Legendary creatures seem most likely to be found in raids.
One note of caution about Pokémon Go’s anniversary artwork is that the game has, on occasion, not always followed through with what these images have set up. Fans have been quick to point to past teases for Mega Mewtwo and fan-favorite Ghost critter Mimikyu in previous annual artworks, only to not materialise. But Pokémon Go’s developer has seemingly become wiser to these expectations — and indeed Paradox Pokémon are the logical choice for the next big selection of creatures to join the game, after the recent debut of Gigantamax creatures, the fully-launched Ultra Beasts and almost all Mega Pokémon now being available.
Other teases in this year’s artwork include Gigantamax Butterfree, which fans expect to debut soon, Mega Metagross, one of the game’s last remaining Mega species yet to turn up, and a player avatar receiving a virtual thumbs up (which some fans are taking as a sign that remote communication or even remote trading might be arriving).
And then there’s Zygarde, star of the upcoming Pokémon Legends Z-A for Switch and Switch 2. While already in Pokémon Go, fans are currently limited to having just one of the creature. Could we see more become available, and potentially through Mega Raids, if Zygarde does get a Mega in Z-A? As with the temporally-divergent Paradox Pokémon themselves, time will tell.